The company will operate as a modern start-up and have flat hierarchies, with the young team consisting mainly of Pepperl+Fuchs employees and graduates of the Institute for Aircraft Production Technology at Hamburg University of Technology.

Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, senior vice president engine services at Lufthansa Technik, says: “We are delighted to have won Pepperl+Fuchs, a leading manufacturer of electronic components and sensors for factory and process automation, as a partner.

“This will enable us to keep pursuing our Industry 4.0 strategy and use this know-how for our processes and products.”

While 3D.aero was founded as part of a project at the Lufthansa Technik engine services division, it will serve all Lufthansa Technik divisions as well as other companies in the aviation industry.

Pepperl+Fuchs says this is another milestone in its expansion strategy.

Dr Gunther Kegel, CEO of Pepperl+Fuchs, says: “Thanks to this joint venture, we are now able to apply our long-term expertise in industrial automation in the aviation industry as well.

“So we are especially looking forward to our close collaboration with Lufthansa Technik.”